The present invention relates to visual barriers for placement atop concrete highway barricades, and more particularly visual barriers formed of a thermoplastic material.
Concrete highway barricades have come into widespread use in the United States and in may other countries. These concrete highway barricades are typically either poured, one-piece construction, or are formed in moveable lengths. In either event, the barricades are typically from 2.5 to 3.5 feet in height, and have a wider base portion, tapering up to a narrower top portion. The taper of the concrete barricade is typically such that, upon impact from a vehicle, the vehicle is diverted back into its own lane of traffic, and does not cross the barricade to enter oncoming traffic.
Another advantage of the concrete highway barricades is that they permit opposing lanes of traffic to travel in close proximity to each other without substantial danger of a head-on collision. However, because the opposing lanes of traffic are close together, the oncoming traffic creates a distraction for the driver during daylight hours and an actual safety hazard at night, when the headlights of oncoming cars can shine into the driver's eyes.
To address this visual concern, various types of visual barriers have been proposed and actually used on top of the concrete barricades. One common type of visual barrier is a plywood panel or panel made of other wood products. Wood panels have a relatively short life in highway use, where precipitation, hydrocarbons, vehicle combustion products, pollution, sunlight, and water splashed from the road's surface tend to accelerate the weathering and aging process. Furthermore, weathered wood panels are not aesthetically pleasing, and are difficult to anchor to concrete surfaces in a rigid manner.